In addition to providing honest advice, we at AskHELTIE believe it's important to have a wealth of information available for horse owners. This way, you can expand your knowledge and help your horse to the best of your ability. Together, we ensure that horses come a little closer to nature.
Joints
Magnesium
Minerals
Silicon
Feeding
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How can you strengthen the physique of your young horse?
Horse owners are always looking for what is best for their horse. Often this concerns adult horses or even seniors. The young horse is often "forgotten", while with the right guidance it can make an extra good start. Therefore, read in this blog how you can support the physique of your young horse.. What is a young horse? Actually, horses are late bloomers, all growth plates are only fully closed around the age of 6/8 years. Therefore, you can say that up to the age of 7 years, the horse can be considered young. Especially the first 5 years are important for the development of the physique. The horse then goes through many growth spurts, which challenges the skeleton. But even after this age, horses continue to grow. Many horses are only fully grown around their 7th year. Movement, movement...
Joints
Others
Silicon
Feeding
From what age can a young horse start working?
There are few topics that spark as much debate among horse lovers as starting with young horses. From what age can a horse start working? How do you actually define work? And how can you ensure a healthy start to the 'working life' of your young horse in general?. As an owner and trainer of a young horse, your most important task is to ensure that the animal is physically and mentally prepared for its life as a riding horse. You want to give the horse a solid foundation and ensure that it develops trust in humans. The horse should be physically capable of functioning as a riding horse in the future, and it should continue to enjoy the work and be mentally capable of handling it. That's quite a laundry list and a responsible task, indeed. When do horses' g...
Nettle
Skin
Minerals
Stubborn mud fever? Happy bacteria can help!
Many horses deal with mud fever, especially when it is wet outside, the paddock remains muddy, or if they spend more time indoors. The term 'pastern dermatitis' refers to a variety of problems. A comprehensive approach is important, supporting the horse from the outside and from the inside. Unfortunately, there are sometimes stubborn spots where the skin remains irritated. What should you do?. Mud fever is a collective term for skin problems, scabs, and wounds on the lower legs of horses. Mud fever can be caused by fungi, bacteria, and even sunburn (on white legs). Often, complaints caused by parasites such as mites are also referred to as 'Mud fever.' But in reality, this is something different. Mud fever often presents with flakes, scabs, redness, and cracks in the pastern. The pastern, especially in horses with white legs or long socks, is a lovely spot for pathogens. Your horse ge...
First Aid
Skin
Why an EM skin spray belongs in the first aid kit
A scratch or wound is quickly incurred by a horse. Even with the wet weather of recent times, a mud spot can quickly develop. A spray with effective Micro-organisms (EM) is therefore indispensable in your horse's first aid kit!. Not disinfecting, but supporting! Many wound sprays and products against mud are made to kill bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms. These products have a disinfecting function, but unfortunately, they also kill the good bacteria/micro-organisms. The good micro-organisms are extremely important for the skin. They support the healing process and drive away the bad micro-organisms. For wound healing, it is therefore better to choose a skin spray with these good organisms! The effective micro-...
Skin
Others
Why you better not use detangler and shine spray on horses without a blanket
Are you a fan of detangler products and shine sprays? They are ideal for keeping your horse's tail and mane tangle-free and easily combable. But did you know that you should be careful when using them on horses that live without a blanket? Read more about this in this blog.. Skin oil important for horses Do your hands also have a white/grey layer after you've cuddled your horse? That is the skin oil that is on and between the fur. Especially in periods when the temperature drops or during shedding, there is extra skin oil. Many owners then recognize the dust on the horse that brushes off when grooming. Sometimes it is thought that the horse has dandruff, but it is actually very important skin oil. In certain periods, horses can even have a dull appearance due to all...
Others
Feeding
# Why you should never train a horse on an empty stomach
Horses have a unique digestive system, which cannot be compared to that of humans. Horses continuously produce stomach acid because they naturally eat for about sixteen hours a day. If a horse hasn't eaten anything for a few hours, the stomach can contain a lot of stomach acid. When you then start training, you risk the development of painful stomach ulcers.. Stomach ulcers are still common in horses. They are usually caused by horses being without forage for too long, being stressed, or having to train on an empty stomach. Or by a combination of these three causes. Saliva neutralizes horse stomach acid Horses continuously produce stomach acid because they are made to eat almost constantly small amounts of forage. A horse produces a lot of saliva when chewing. Especially when eating fibrous forage, such as well-unpacked hay. All that saliva then neut...
Organs
Rosehip
How do you support your horse's liver?
For horses, the liver is an important organ. The liver is essential for the removal of waste products, for digestion, and for the production and storage of, among other things, vitamin C. When the liver is not functioning properly, it is not always easy to see in a horse. Accumulation of waste products and reduced release of vitamins usually lead to what are usually called 'vague complaints'.. The liver is the first line of defense against contaminants and toxic substances that may be present in food. Substances absorbed from the intestines are first sent through the liver, so that harmful substances do not go unnoticed throughout the body. The liver filters those toxic substances from the blood. That is also the reason why poisoning by, for example, ragwort mainly leads to liver damage. Your horse's liver takes the blows. Liver important for vitamin C The liver is the largest gland i...
Organs
Feeding
The importance of vitamin C in liver problems in horses
Liver problems are common in horses. Often this is not immediately noticed by horse owners, but is revealed through a blood test. Did you know that vitamin C is produced in the liver and can therefore help horses with liver problems? Read more about this in this blog.. What is vitamin C? Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that the horse can produce in the liver. The horse produces vitamin C from glucose with the help of an enzyme. Horses also obtain vitamin C from food, mainly from fresh grass. Vitamin C has several very important functions in the body: It strengthens and activates the immune system It is a powerful antioxidant Works antiallergic Aids in lowering blood sugar Increases absorption of iron, zinc, chromium, calcium, and magnesium Involved in gro...
Guest blog
Feeding
Guest Blog Bart van Heesbeen: 'Horses perform better when you feed them naturally'
Bart van Heesbeen is a show jumper, trainer, instructor, and nutrition expert. He knows exactly what good nutrition does for a sport horse and what does and does not work. He regularly advises owners of sport horses and has a holistic view on horses, feeding, health, and performance.. “When I worked as a professional competition rider, I often felt something was off with my horses. I frequently asked myself, 'Why aren't they performing as well as I think they can? What is holding them back, what is causing them to knock down five poles even though they feel careful enough?'" That's why I went looking for solutions. In that search, I found good forage and started focusing on forage products that can further help horses." Knowledge about forage "For me, it's all...
Feeding
Why you should always have roughage analyzed!
In the agricultural sector, it is a standard practice. All roughage batches are analyzed and the concentrate feed is adjusted accordingly. But why have we not reached this point yet with horses? Why do we mostly assess hay based on appearance and let smell determine it?. Read in this blog why we recommend always having a roughage analysis done. Know what your horse eats Do you know exactly what your horse is eating? And whether it is getting enough nutrients? At customer service, we often hear that customers actually do not know the quality of the roughage. Which is understandable, because many horses are on boarding stables where you do not always have influence on the feeding policy, but it is extremely important to know! Roughage is always the basis of the ho...
Magnesium
Do you give your horse magnesium continuously or only in periods?
A frequently asked question at our customer service is: should I always give magnesium? And that is a very good question! But there is no one-size-fits-all answer, as it depends on multiple factors. Therefore, read more in this blog about how to feed magnesium to your horse.. You can always give magnesium to your horse Magnesium is a mineral that is involved in many processes in the body. Most horse owners know it for relaxing muscles or reducing stress. But magnesium is also involved in bone formation, nerves, cell division, and protein synthesis. A very versatile mineral that is essential for the horse. Some horses require more magnesium than others. Horses that are a bit "explosive" or easily startled have an increased magnesium requirement. During a str...
Feeding
Why it is good to not give the same brand of balancer / concentrate throughout the entire year
So many feed brands and therefore also an overwhelming amount of choices in the type of feed you give. Each feed is different and developed for a different purpose. One feed may only contain vitamins and minerals, while other feeds are specially designed for extra support in muscle building or for sensitive stomachs. But did you know that it is good to not give the same feed throughout the entire year? Read more about this in this blog.. Reason 1: Each feed has a different composition We are not talking about the amount of energy/sugars/starch/proteins in the feed. But about the composition of vitamins and minerals. Each feed manufacturer has their own vision on which ratios of vitamins and minerals are best for the horse. One brand, for example, may contain more iron than another brand. This applies to all vitamins and minerals. But could it be possible that your horse is getting a deficiency or excess of a certain mineral/vita...